PITTSBURGH, PA – La Roche got back on track earning a double header split with Washington & Jefferson on Monday afternoon. W&J took game one 8-5 but the Redhawks came back to earn a 6-5 walk-off game two win.
Game 1:
Washington & Jefferson broke out for five runs in the top of the first inning.
Starter Alexa Young settled down and tossed scoreless second, third, and fourth innings. Young used a groundout to leave runners on the corners to end the third. She then got W&J to chase a pitch to leave a runner on third in the fourth inning.
The Redhawks got on the board in the fourth inning. Andie Lippman bunted her way on and stole second. Kelsey Plato walked and Savannah Leonard advanced both up a base with a groundout.
Aubrie Martin beat out a single to the left side to score Lippman. A Devan Smith fielder's choice RBI made it 5-2 after four innings.
La Roche got out of a jam in the top of the fifth. Young got the first two outs but W&J advanced runners to second and third base. Kaylee Grassmyer entered in relief and got the final out.
The Redhawks cut the deficit to one in the fifth inning. Burford and Lippman reached and Plato singled to left to score Burford. A Leonard infield single made it 5-4.
W&J got both runs back in the top of the sixth and La Roche left a runner at third base in the bottom of the inning. The Presidents made it 8-4 midway through the seventh.
Plato singled home Lippman in the bottom of the inning, but W&J hung on for the 8-5 victory.
Lippman scored three runs while Plato hit in two.
Game 2:
Leonard opened with two scoreless innings but W&J struck for two in the third inning. The Presidents added another run in the top of the fourth.
La Roche broke up the no-hit bid with a pair of hits in the bottom of the fourth. Lippman and Leonard took second and third base but the Redhawks failed to take advantage.
W&J added an RBI bloop single in the fifth, but the Redhawks brought timely hitting into the fifth inning to tie it.
Kayla Ordos and Martin both reached and Burford beat out an infield single to score Ordos. Lippman found a hole in the right side of the infield to drive in Martin. Plato found the same hole in the next at bat to tie it at 4-4.
The Presidents grabbed a 5-4 lead in the top of the sixth, but La Roche answered in the bottom of the inning. Ordos reached on an error and scored on a Meghan Haynes sacrifice fly.
Burford made a sliding grab to keep the score tied heading into the bottom of the seventh. The seniors came through with the walk-off win. Lippman got things going with a single through the right side. She stole second and Leonard beat out an infield single to allow Leonard to score from second.
Lippman went 3 for 4 with 2 runs and an RBI. Plato hit in two and Ordos scored twice. Leonard earned the win.